Great Falls tribune., 1887-02-05
SOUND REASONING.
fOnagge.
~

| Many Of our leading stock growers are
coming to the conclusion that the system
of stock husbandry advocated by this pa
| per will pay better than range husbandry
| does or has for some time. Our plan, as
| has been stated time and again, is for the
owner to buy land, produce meadows and
| be prepared with hay and winter pasture
/ for his stock for from sixty to ninety davs
| We do not know the advantage of the
range, but at this advanced age of civili-
zation the cream of the pastural region
/ has oeen skinned off, and to get the best
| results we must now resort to a sem i-civ-
iliZed mode OF management at least. We
| may rely upon the range in summer and
fall, and frequently until Christmas, but
after that date should have our stock in
side Of Enclosures where pasturage is
good and where hay can be supplied if
the feed is covered up. This is the only
safe method that can now be adopted, and
we are fully satisfied that there is more
money in it than there has been in the
...a Sc hnsbandry for the past dozen years
In s9ny on with one of Smith Rivers
leading stockmaI Mi4o has at length
adopted this system, he assured us that,
Notwithstanding the expense of preparing
feed, .fencing pasture, etc, that there is
more money in 50 doing than in proceed
ing under the old plan. Three years ago
he branded upwards of two hundred and
sixty calves, and allowing that half of
these were heifers, which is about the way
herds usually run rs to Sex, he should
have had one hundred and thirty three
year old steers to market last fall But in
stead of that number he marketed about |
sixty five, which proves conclusively that |
fully fifty per cent. Of the calves that drop
are lost after branding time. Under this /
present system he can bring herd of |
calves through to three years old with a |
loss not to exceed ten per cent, which |
would leave handsome margin for the
care and trouble. Besides this the matter
of security which should be taken into
consideration is no small item. With
ones herd ia an inclosure and plenty Of
hay, there is little or no risk but turned
upon the range when feed is rs short as it
is now under the severe tax of so many
herds-bound to always be the case, there
is danger Of even greater loss than that
mentioned by the gentleman in question.
The life Of the whole herd is at times in
danger. It will therefore be readily seen
by our stockmen that to score the greatest
success in their business, they must pre-
pare for winter. Were it not only security,
out there is money in it. There is also
pernlanency to their calling in this mode.
Exclusive range industry was good
enough in its day, but that has now gone
oy; not only In Montana, but in Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
the vast range region the &C ,
emulation of herds and the close grazing
n summer now renders stock insecure in
winter and necessitates winter care. and :
when this shall be unanimously adopted, {
We venture that this region will yield
much larger amount of stock, and that
hey will be of better quality, as greater
are will be exercised in breeding, more {
,ains taken to secure good sires, and, in ,
better prices realized- ,
|
We heartily endorse the above. belfev- J,
ng tha stockgrowers can more fully re-
lie the benefits to be derived from the
sreat pastoral resources of Montana, by :
making the change indicated. There is
mother side to the question not touched
lpon, by the Husiaadaaa; we refer to t
he great suffering Of cattle at times, from